Lions hand Vikings first loss, Russell Wilson cooks in Steelers debut
Mackenzie Salmon breaks down the top storylines from Week 7 in the NFL.
Sports Seriously
Two teams on very different trajectories will clash in Week 8‘s “Monday Night Football” matchup.
The Pittsburgh Steelers just won their Week 7 prime-time game at home after making a switch at quarterback and are tied for first place in the AFC North. The New York Giants, on the other hand, just got embarrassed at home by the Philadelphia Eagles and former Giant Saquon Barkley. They benched their quarterback for poor play and are in last place.
Pittsburgh took down the New York Jets on “Sunday Night Football” thanks, in part, to a solid performance from new starting signal-caller Russell Wilson.
Earlier in the day, the Giants lost a divisional matchup with the Eagles, 28-3. Head coach Brian Daboll benched quarterback Daniel Jones early in the fourth quarter after he started 14-of-21 on pass attempts for just 99 yards.
Here’s what to know for tonight’s “Monday Night Football” game:
PITTSBURGH STEELERS: Russell Wilson overcomes shaky start to defeat Jets in QB’s debut as starter
The Giants are seeking their third win of the season. The Steelers are seeking their third straight win and sixth victory of the season.
Wilson is in line to start his second game for Pittsburgh after a successful initial outing that ended in a prime-time win over Aaron Rodgers and the Jets.
Wilson’s 264 yards in a 16-of-29 passing performance set a new Steelers franchise record for most passing yards in a quarterback’s first start for the team. Wide receiver George Pickens had his best game of the season with nine catches for 111 receiving yards and a touchdown.
In addition, running back Najee Harris had a second straight game with over 100 rushing yards and a touchdown. His performance of 102 yards on 21 carries was a promising follow-up to his 14-carry, 106-yard outing against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6.
Across the field, Daboll has said the team is sticking with Jones as its starter going forward, but the pressure appears to be on. Daboll benched Jones in favor of free agent signing Drew Lock during the Giants’ Week 7 home blowout at the hands of the Eagles.
The 2019 first-round pick has still not thrown a touchdown pass at home since the end of the 2022 season. Jones is 1-14 in prime-time games over his six-year career.
This is the Giants’ final prime-time game of the season. They’ll also play a Thanksgiving game against the Dallas Cowboys in the late afternoon slot.
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“Monday Night Football” kicks off at the same time as it usually does when there is only one game: 8:15 p.m. ET.
ESPN’s Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will continue their 23rd year of partnership in the broadcast booth during Week 8’s “MNF” matchup. Buck will handle play-by-play duties as normal, while Aikman will act as the color commentator and analyst. Finally, Lisa Salters or Laura Rutledge will continue her duties as ESPN’s sideline reporter.
Pre and post-game analysis for “Monday Night Football” will take place in the ESPN studio with analysts Adam Schefter, Alex Smith, Larry Fitzgerald, Ryan Clark, Marcus Spears, and Jason Kelce.
ESPN and ABC will carry “Monday Night Football” broadcasts throughout the 2024 season.
Fans who prefer to stream football games can watch “MNF” with an ESPN+ subscription or with Fubo, which offers a seven-day free trial.
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